swarm update virgin queen question

[rober]

makes sense. the queen that's in the hive is is still not laying. i did give the queen cells to another queenless swarm. i'll keep a watch to see whether they make more queen cells. also, if this queen hasn't mated yet the hive would not acknowledge her as being a queen.

[Michael Bush]

The bees confine the remaining queens if they are ready to emerge.  Usually the primary swarm leaves right after the first cell is capped, so it's eight days later when the first queen emerges and three or four days after that before she leaves with a swarm (about 12 days or so).  But if the first swarm gets held up for weather (a week or two of rainy weather) the second queen may be trying to emerge.  The bees will confine that queen, and keep the current queen away from the cells.  Queens are usually confined for a few days and sometimes a week or more.  The details are all here:

http://www.bushfarms.com/huber.htm#letter9

[capt44]

When I install a virgin queen in a nuc I leave them be for 10-14 days then look to see if she's laying.
When she emerges from the cage or cell she'll wander around for a day or two then go on her mating flights.